euclid
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2005
- Posts
- 1,520
- Likes
- 12
i'd like to share some opinions i have developed about the '05 DT-880 and 990 in 250 ohm. i have owned each for a few months and i have since sold both.
the groundwork
my source is Meridian 596 DVD player, i have very much enjoyed the ownership of this machine. to me it represents a fantastic CD player and nearly flawless DVD player, the only expection is that a few menu systems in DVDs have locked the unit needing reboot. as an aside with the HDDVD hype the price on these have come down to the $1000 range, keeping in mind this is a 588 CD player with added video functionality it is a very good deal and i would highly recommend it after over a year of personal enjoyment.
the amp is Headamp GS-X, i have been through a few amps from a few different manufactures, including tubes. for my listening preference solid state has been the solution. in my experience the GS-X reaches a certain pinnacle of the expected SS sound. speed, resolution, detail, clarity, control, and dynamics. the background is black and the sound is transparant, there is very little to criticize about this amp, the seperate powersupply is a nice feature, i can leave the GS-X powered on 24/7 and i also use it as a preamp with great success..... i trust that the GS-X is acurately reproducing what my source is sending, no bloat, no boost, no color. i prefer to leave that task solely to the headphones and speakers.
i wont get into cables, i do feel they make a difference and i have settled on entry-mid level solid performers that i feel introduce the least flavor into the sound. price is a factor for me and i could spend all my free time and money buying/testing/selling cables and probibly never be satisfied so i wont bother.
basically i am comfortable with my upstream system synergy. it doesnt represent a no-holds-barred botique setup but i think it is a consistent and reliably decent performer that lets the sound go as far as the headphones will allow it. i am fairly convnced i am actually hearing the headphone in an honest and exposed state, for better or worse.
listening impressions:
first and foremost i really wanted to like both of these headphones. the Beyer DT-7/8/9 line represents a one manufacturer solution to reportidly different sound signatures with identical impedance and ergonomics, simply perfect on paper.
it was easily apparent to me that i didnt like either of them, and after hours of burn-in, listening and trying to adjust to the sound i absolutley could not pinpoint a strong-suit in either... with the exception of the DT-990 thunderous bass.
in order to understand exactly how i perceive these headphones i have to restate what has been said time and time again on Headfi and simply explain the essence of the overstement. i have read that the DT-990 is fun, yay. and the DT-880 is neutral.
the truth is they are both nearly the same headphone, they use similar sounding drivers( the DT-990 driver may be more bass heavy by design), variations of the same housing, and the same cable. tonally they sound EXACTLY the same, expect one is "open" the other is "semi-open" (see below pic). as an aside how/where does Beyerdynamic justify a $100 price difference between the two?
the DT-880 is sibilant, the highs are presented as the strong suit of the headphone and they are not expectionally detailed and are very far from acceptabley smooth. a cymbol sounds like an effect, in playback of every CD a cymbol is a cymbol is a cymbol. it is very hard to hear distingusting texture or nuance, grain is very noticable. IMHO the same holds true across the entire frequency range. the mids are grey and lifeless, the bass has little to no texture, its just bass, this is most obvious when listening to well recorded stand-up bass guitar which should have subtle reverberation pluck and strum, they are simply absent. bass is more a visual experience than a physical, it is slightly lean. the high end is absolutley the limiting factor when it comes to volume, you will know youve reached your listening level when the highs just shout relentlessly. but it comes at a point that the mids and low end have not yet reached full potential and sound slightly distant.
soundstage is decent, as is transpancy. imaging is good and instruments are positionable with decent air. this is the nature of the open design and i believe the source for the DT-880 praise.
the DT-990 sounds like the DT-880 but with way too much bass. not even quality bass, just bass. they hold the same inefficient charactisitcs, there is not enough detail or charcter to the sound. as i am listening im thinking "thats alot of bass, bass yeah theres some more, it sounded alot like the other bass which sounds like the bass i hear now, i can really feel it, wheres the music, wow the boom is really fatiguing my head." the soundstange, transparancy and imaging are accetabley good but fall short of the DT-880
just as the highend was the limiting factor for the DT880, the lowend is bloated to a disprotionate level on the DT-990, this limits the volume for balanced sound... at a point the mids and highs can not fully bloom and integrate into the music. this covers and plain prevents the sibilance i was hearing on the DT-880, but it also squashed the detail and dynamics. lossy MP3 (EQ'ed) have found a soulmate in the DT-990.
so i genuinely appolgise for those that may take offense to my impressions, but considering the scale of my disappointment on these highly praised headphones i felt it was an obligation of mine to better serve the community and share my honest thoughts. i would suggest the K-701, HD-580/600/650, Audio Technica ATH AD-2000 instead. they are all worth the extra money. if you must have one of these Beyers i rate the DT-880 as the better headphone, for music keep the volume alittle lower than you would like and they are acceptable, and the soundstage does well for movies. materials are all mid level plastic some aluminum, nothting spectatular but has a solid feel. comfort is good and cord is one-sided which is convieneint but makes me sceptical about best sound performace.
the winner by default:
the groundwork
my source is Meridian 596 DVD player, i have very much enjoyed the ownership of this machine. to me it represents a fantastic CD player and nearly flawless DVD player, the only expection is that a few menu systems in DVDs have locked the unit needing reboot. as an aside with the HDDVD hype the price on these have come down to the $1000 range, keeping in mind this is a 588 CD player with added video functionality it is a very good deal and i would highly recommend it after over a year of personal enjoyment.
the amp is Headamp GS-X, i have been through a few amps from a few different manufactures, including tubes. for my listening preference solid state has been the solution. in my experience the GS-X reaches a certain pinnacle of the expected SS sound. speed, resolution, detail, clarity, control, and dynamics. the background is black and the sound is transparant, there is very little to criticize about this amp, the seperate powersupply is a nice feature, i can leave the GS-X powered on 24/7 and i also use it as a preamp with great success..... i trust that the GS-X is acurately reproducing what my source is sending, no bloat, no boost, no color. i prefer to leave that task solely to the headphones and speakers.
i wont get into cables, i do feel they make a difference and i have settled on entry-mid level solid performers that i feel introduce the least flavor into the sound. price is a factor for me and i could spend all my free time and money buying/testing/selling cables and probibly never be satisfied so i wont bother.
basically i am comfortable with my upstream system synergy. it doesnt represent a no-holds-barred botique setup but i think it is a consistent and reliably decent performer that lets the sound go as far as the headphones will allow it. i am fairly convnced i am actually hearing the headphone in an honest and exposed state, for better or worse.
listening impressions:
first and foremost i really wanted to like both of these headphones. the Beyer DT-7/8/9 line represents a one manufacturer solution to reportidly different sound signatures with identical impedance and ergonomics, simply perfect on paper.
it was easily apparent to me that i didnt like either of them, and after hours of burn-in, listening and trying to adjust to the sound i absolutley could not pinpoint a strong-suit in either... with the exception of the DT-990 thunderous bass.
in order to understand exactly how i perceive these headphones i have to restate what has been said time and time again on Headfi and simply explain the essence of the overstement. i have read that the DT-990 is fun, yay. and the DT-880 is neutral.
the truth is they are both nearly the same headphone, they use similar sounding drivers( the DT-990 driver may be more bass heavy by design), variations of the same housing, and the same cable. tonally they sound EXACTLY the same, expect one is "open" the other is "semi-open" (see below pic). as an aside how/where does Beyerdynamic justify a $100 price difference between the two?
the DT-880 is sibilant, the highs are presented as the strong suit of the headphone and they are not expectionally detailed and are very far from acceptabley smooth. a cymbol sounds like an effect, in playback of every CD a cymbol is a cymbol is a cymbol. it is very hard to hear distingusting texture or nuance, grain is very noticable. IMHO the same holds true across the entire frequency range. the mids are grey and lifeless, the bass has little to no texture, its just bass, this is most obvious when listening to well recorded stand-up bass guitar which should have subtle reverberation pluck and strum, they are simply absent. bass is more a visual experience than a physical, it is slightly lean. the high end is absolutley the limiting factor when it comes to volume, you will know youve reached your listening level when the highs just shout relentlessly. but it comes at a point that the mids and low end have not yet reached full potential and sound slightly distant.
soundstage is decent, as is transpancy. imaging is good and instruments are positionable with decent air. this is the nature of the open design and i believe the source for the DT-880 praise.
the DT-990 sounds like the DT-880 but with way too much bass. not even quality bass, just bass. they hold the same inefficient charactisitcs, there is not enough detail or charcter to the sound. as i am listening im thinking "thats alot of bass, bass yeah theres some more, it sounded alot like the other bass which sounds like the bass i hear now, i can really feel it, wheres the music, wow the boom is really fatiguing my head." the soundstange, transparancy and imaging are accetabley good but fall short of the DT-880
just as the highend was the limiting factor for the DT880, the lowend is bloated to a disprotionate level on the DT-990, this limits the volume for balanced sound... at a point the mids and highs can not fully bloom and integrate into the music. this covers and plain prevents the sibilance i was hearing on the DT-880, but it also squashed the detail and dynamics. lossy MP3 (EQ'ed) have found a soulmate in the DT-990.
so i genuinely appolgise for those that may take offense to my impressions, but considering the scale of my disappointment on these highly praised headphones i felt it was an obligation of mine to better serve the community and share my honest thoughts. i would suggest the K-701, HD-580/600/650, Audio Technica ATH AD-2000 instead. they are all worth the extra money. if you must have one of these Beyers i rate the DT-880 as the better headphone, for music keep the volume alittle lower than you would like and they are acceptable, and the soundstage does well for movies. materials are all mid level plastic some aluminum, nothting spectatular but has a solid feel. comfort is good and cord is one-sided which is convieneint but makes me sceptical about best sound performace.
the winner by default:
